1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a realistic robot which is constructed as a result of modeling the operation and mechanism of a living body, and, more particularly, to a movable robot in which the mechanism of the body of a leg-movement-type animal, such as a human being and a monkey, is modeled.
Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a leg-movement-type-robot controlling system which can independently perform an actuating operation as a result of installing a controlling device thereat. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a leg-movement-type robot controlling system which executes a self-diagnosis of failures or abnormalities in the system, and which can feed back the diagnosis results to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term robot is said to be derived from the Slavic word ROBOTA (slavish machine). In our country, the use of robots began from the end of the 1960s, many of which were industrial robots, such as manipulators and conveyance robots, used, for example, for the purpose of achieving automatic industrial operations in factories without humans in attendance.
In recent years, progress has been made in the research and development of leg-movement-type robots which emulate the movements and mechanisms of the body of an animal, such as a human being or a monkey, which walks on two feet while in an erect posture, so that there is a higher expectation of putting them into practical use. The posture and walking of leg-movement types which walk on two feet while in an erect posture are more unstable than those of crawler types or types having four or six legs so that they are more difficult to control. However, they are excellent in that they can move and work flexibly. More specifically, leg-movement-type robots which walk on two feet are suited for walking along unleveled surfaces, working paths having obstacles, and floors having uneven surfaces, and walking along walking surfaces which are not continuous, so that they can, for example, go up and down steps and ladders.
Leg-movement-type robots which emulate the mechanisms and movements of living bodies are called humanoid robots. The significance of carrying out research and development on leg-movement-type robots which are called humanoid robots can be understood from, for example, the following two viewpoints.
The first viewpoint is related to human science. More specifically, through the process of making a robot whose structure is similar to a structure having lower limbs and/or upper limbs of human beings, thinking up a method of controlling the same, and simulating the walking of a human being, the mechanism of the natural movement of a human being, such as walking, can be ergonomically understood. The results of such research can considerably contribute to the development of other various research fields which treat human movement mechanisms, such as ergonomics, rehabilitation engineering, and sports science.
The other viewpoint is related to the development of robots as partners of human beings which help them in life, that is, help them in various human activities in living environments and in various circumstances in everyday life. Functionally, in various aspects of the living environment of human beings, these robots need to be further developed by learning methods of adapting to environments and acting in accordance with human beings which have different personalities and characters while being taught by human beings. Here, it is believed that making the form and structure of a robot the same as those of a human being is effective for smooth communication between human beings and robots.
For example, when teaching to a robot a way of passing through a room by avoiding obstacles which should not be stepped on, it is much easier for the user (worker) to teach it to a walking-on-two-feet-type robot which has the same form as the user than a crawler-type or a four-feet-type robot having structures which are completely different from the structure of the user. In this case, it must also be easier for the robot to learn it. (Refer to, for example, Controlling a Robot Which Walks On Two Feetxe2x80x9d by Takanishi (Jidosha Gijutsukai Kanto Shibu  less than Koso greater than  No. 25, Apr., 1996.)
The working space and living space of human beings are formed in accordance with the behavioral mode and the mechanism of the body of a human being which walks on two feet while in an upright posture. In other words, for moving present mechanical systems using wheels or other such driving devices as moving means, the living space of human beings has many obstacles. However, it is preferable that the movable range of the robot be about the same as that of human beings in order for the mechanical system, that is, the robot to carry out various human tasks in place of them or to help them carry out various human tasks, and to deeply penetrate the living space of human beings. This is the reason why there are great expectations for putting a leg-movement-type robot into practical use. In order to enhance the affinity of the robot to the living environment of human beings, it is essential for the robot to possess a human form.
One application of humanoid robots is to make them carry out various difficult operations, such as in industrial tasks or production work, in place of human beings. They carry out in place of human beings dangerous or difficult operations, such as maintenance work at nuclear power plants, thermal power plants, or petrochemical plants, parts transportation/assembly operations in manufacturing plants, cleaning of tall buildings, and rescuing of people at places where there is a fire, and the like.
Another application of the humanoid robot is related to the living together in the same living space as human beings, that is, to entertainment. In this type of application, the robot is deeply characterized as being closely connected to life rather than as helping human beings in life by, for example, performing tasks in place of them.
For entertainment robots, the production of an operation pattern, itself, which is executed during the operation is a theme regarding the research and development thereof rather than the constructing of them so that they can be industrially used as specified with high speed and high precision. In other words, it is preferable that the whole body harmoniously moving type operation mechanism which an animal, such as human beings and monkeys, which walk on two feet while in an erect posture actually possess be faithfully reproduced in order to achieve smooth and natural movement. In addition, in emulating highly intelligent animals, such as human beings or monkeys, which stand in an upright posture, it is to be considered that the use of an operation pattern which uses the four limbs is natural as a living body, and it is desirable that the movements are sufficiently indicative of emotions and feelings.
Entertainment robots are required not only to faithfully execute a previously input operation pattern, but also to act vividly in response to the words and actions of a person (such as speaking highly of someone, scolding someone, or hitting someone). In this sense, entertainment robots which emulate human beings are rightly called humanoid robots.
In conventional toy machines, the relationship between the operations which are carried out by the user and the responding operation is fixed/standardized, so that the same operations are merely repeated, causing the user to eventually get tired of the toy machines. In contrast, entertainment robots, though they execute operations in accordance with an operation generation time series model, can change this time series model, that is, impart a learning effect, in response to a detection of an external stimulus which is produced by, for example, the operation of the user. Therefore, the relationship between the operations which are carried out by the user and the responding operation is programmable, making it possible to provide an operation pattern which does not make the user tired of it or which conforms to the tastes of the user. In addition, by operating the robot, the user can enjoy a type of educational simulation.
The working space of a movable robot is not limited. The robot moves along a predetermined path or a pathless place in order to perform predetermined or any tasks in place of human beings or to provide various other services in place of human beings, dogs, or other living beings.
So long as the movable robot is an industrial product, it must be provided with as little failures and abnormalities as possible to the user. However, it cannot be guaranteed that all of the products to be shipped will be free from abnormalities. In addition, by repeated use by the user, parts wear and deteriorate with the passage of time, so that failures inevitably occur in the products. Further, in a leg-movement-robot which is required to perform complicated posture control operations, abnormal processing of the system may be expected to occur during the repeated execution of thinking controlling and movement controlling operations.
When a failure or abnormality occurs in the product, the user needs to perform maintenance operations, such as repairing operations. Here, it is convenient when an independently actuating type robot diagnoses the failure or tells the location of the failure to the user in response to a command which is given by the user or based on its own intention. In particular, the humanoid robot includes an excellent user interface which functions like a human being, so that one can expect the robot to receive a failure diagnosis command when the user very naturally communicates with the robot, and to tell the diagnosis results to the user by a human-like action and in an easily understandable manner.
In the case of a movable robot, failures or abnormalities in the system may cause secondary disasters such as the robot running into the user (or worker) when it moves wildly. Therefore, it is preferable that the robot independently tell the user at an early stage that a failure or an abnormality has occurred.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent controlling system of a leg-movement-type robot which can independently perform an actuating operation as a result of installing a controlling device thereat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an excellent controlling system of a leg-movement-type robot which can perform a self-diagnosis operation of a failure or an abnormality in the system, and which can feed back the diagnosis results to the user.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a humanoid robot which receives a failure diagnosis command through an excellent, xe2x80x9chuman-likexe2x80x9d user interface, and which can tell the diagnosis results in an easily understandable manner to the user.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a movable robot which can independently tell at an early stage that a failure or abnormality has occurred.
To these ends, according to the present invention, there is provided a robot failure diagnosing system which comprises a plurality of joint actuators. The system further comprises request input means for inputting a request for a failure diagnosis thereto, measuring means for measuring the state of the inside of a robot, diagnosing means for diagnosing the failure of the robot in response to the request for a failure diagnosis which has been input to the request input means, and diagnosis result outputting means for outputting a failure diagnosis result given by the diagnosing means to anything outside the system.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the request input means may receive the request through sound, or from an external system through a communications interface.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include an encoder for measuring the angle of each joint actuator, and the diagnosing means may diagnose the failure based on a deviation of each current joint angle output from the encoder from a corresponding target joint angle which is prescribed with respect to each joint actuator.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the inside of each joint actuator, and the diagnosing means may determine that a failure has occurred in each joint actuator when each temperature measured by the temperature sensor exceeds a corresponding prescribed value.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the robot may be a battery-actuating-type robot. In this case, the measuring means may include a supply voltage detecting section for measuring a terminal voltage of a battery or the supply voltage supplied to each section from the battery. In addition, the diagnosing means may determine that a power supply abnormality has occurred when the voltage detected by the supply voltage detecting section falls outside a corresponding prescribed value.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include a posture sensor for detecting the azimuthal angle of at least one of a pitch axis, a roll axis, and a yaw axis of the robot, and the diagnosing means may determine that an abnormal posture has occurred when the azimuthal angle detected by the posture sensor falls outside a corresponding prescribed value.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include an image input device, and the diagnosing means may perform a diagnosis based on a result which has been recognized from an input image which is provided at the image input means.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include an image input device, and the diagnosing means may perform a diagnosis based on a piece of object-related information which has been recognized from an input image which is provided at the image input means.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include an image input device, and the diagnosing means may perform a diagnosis based on a piece of color information which has been recognized from an input image which is provided at the image input means.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the measuring means may include at least one of a contact sensor and a power sensor, and the diagnosing means may determine that an abnormality has occurred when the output of either the contact sensor or the power sensor exceeds a prescribed value corresponding thereto.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the diagnosis result outputting means may output the diagnosis result using sound.
In the robot failure diagnosing system, the diagnosis result outputting means may output the diagnosis result to an external system through a communications interface.
The robot of the present invention can perform a self-diagnosis operation of, for example, a failure or an abnormality in the system, and can feed back the diagnosis results to the user.
The robot of the present invention can receive a request for a diagnosis by a sound input through a sound input device which corresponds to the sense of hearing of a human being, and express the diagnosis results through a sound output. In other words, the robot receives a failure diagnosis command through a xe2x80x9chuman-likexe2x80x9d user interface which it actually incorporates, and tells about the diagnosis results in an easily understandable manner to the user.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become manifest from a more detailed description with reference to an embodiment of the present invention described below and the attached drawings.